New Delhi, Jan. 5 -- The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Uttarakhand government on what it had done against those who had encroached on thousands of hectares of forest land and slammed the authorities for sitting as silent spectators.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said, "What seems shocking to us is that the state of Uttarakhand and its authorities are sitting as silent spectators when the forest land is being systematically grabbed in front of their eyes."

It asked the state government to file within two weeks a comprehensive counter affidavit having details of the site plan, the approximate details of the constructions raised, and the nature of those constructions in the government or ...